Come With Me
by The Sage of Spirits
Summary: Rewrite of Come With Me. Kratos saves Lloyd at the Tower of Salvation. Linked Oneshots
1. Come With Me and Live

_**The Sage of Spirits: **Okay! This is the first chapter of the rewrite. Things are changed, such as length (although this one will be a little short), plot, and the ending bit. Meaning, how each chapter ended with "Come with me...?" Well now it should still appear once, but now it's mixed in the paragraphs. The question is where. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to two ladies that had reviewed this and found that - yes, things did suck before, and it needed fixing. While I won't say who they are, I will let them know if they happen to review. Although I do love all of my readers! _n.n' _Anyway, I don't own Tales of Namco. Read please.

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**Come With Me**

**Chapter 1: Come With Me and Live**

Trust is a powerful feeling; the bond that holds two people together is immense… so is the sorrow that can to break that bond of trust…

Lloyd knelt onto one knee, exhausted after the countless times he had tried to defeat his former teacher, now betrayer of him and his friends, only to end in failure every time. He looked behind him at the unconscious members of his group, and the savior of the world, the Chosen, hung between the doors of the living and the dead.

"Kratos, why?!" he shouted, distraught as his hands grasped the brown locks of hair on his head. What was he to do? A cold sweat began to fall from his forehead, causing his hands to stick slightly to his hair.

Kratos' heart stung with every attack he sent to his only child, each worse than the last. He raised his sword over the tired child, grasping the hilt tightly with two hands. Lloyd looked up and gasped; he tried to move out of the way, but he had little energy left to parry.

Kratos saw the silent tears that fell from Lloyd's face, and mentally stabbed himself in the chest with his sword…

_What… what am I doing? Why must I do this? Why must fate let it come to this…?_ He asked himself, his red eyes never once leaving the precious child on the ground before him.

_I… I cannot… do it…_ he told himself. Lloyd looked up at the man, just as he saw the sword in his hand drop onto the floor with a clang, his shield following quickly thereafter. Kratos fell onto his knees, pulling the teen into his grasp.

"Wh-what the…?!" Lloyd whispered as his teary face fell onto Kratos's shoulder.

"Lloyd… Forgive me… I only did it to protect you…" he told the boy as he held his back.

"Wh… What are you… talking about…?"

"I couldn't protect you all of those years ago… And I tried to keep you away in order to avoid this conflict… I'm a… failure as you-" he paused, eyes widening; he just-!

Lloyd gasped; was he…?

"Kratos… Are you… saying that-"

"So, I see that you couldn't go through with killing him. I suppose that was to be expected however." A voice called out from behind them, an eerie clapping that echoed through the tower – it was another angel with long blonde hair and rainbow-colored wings. "Well no matter; he'll be next then." He said as he moved closer to Colette.

Kratos clutched the boy tightly to his chest as he stood between the man and Colette, shooting the man a deadly glare. "You will do nothing; I've put him through enough misery – which I intend to make up to him." Lloyd grasped a bit of the man's hair in his hand in shock.

"Oh? And what do you plan to do to 'make it up to your son?'" Lloyd's eyes widened as far as they could go, trembling with a mixture of pure emotion that he could not describe.

"Son…? I'm your... son…?" he said to himself more than to the two men around him; the blonde-haired angel began to chuckle.

"Of course you are; why else would Kratos worry so about a being such as yourself?" he said with a wicked tone of voice as the boy's energy gave out; Lloyd fell into a deep slumber. Kratos looked over at him worriedly; he needed to have a proper rest… He began to walk away from the other angel.

"Hmm? And where do you think you are going, Kratos?" he asked as he watched the man come to a halt and turned around slowly; Kratos glared at the widening smirk on the angel's face.

"I'm going to take him to my quarters to rest – with your permission or not… Lord Yggdrasil. He's all I care about right now…" The man said.

"Fine, Kratos, since I know you'll disobey my orders regardless. However, I do want you to put the crest on 'it.'" The angel named Yggdrasil said, receiving a heavy sigh from the other angel. With a solemn nod, Kratos took off; Yggdrasil cackled to himself, his eyes roaming the tower's interior, slowly falling upon the blonde-haired maiden…

"Come with me, my dear Chosen…" he said, unaware of the shadows lurking about…

_(--Hours Later…--)_

Lloyd rubbed his forehead, his eyes glazed as he began to awaken. As his eyes slowly adjusted after sleeping for so long, he sat up.

He looked at the silver, metallic-like walls that were painted with a slight mix of purple and white, with several rows of books upon the westernmost wall from the bed, and a single, medium-sized window, the only outlet to the outside world. There was a crackling fireplace the middle of the room across from him, the only real source of warmth around this lonely place. In the corner was a wooden desk, covered with mystical runes piled with papers; a wooden table lay in the center of the room, with chairs tucked underneath of the surface. The last piece of furniture around was the comfortable bed that he was now lying in, the covers white and purple.

"Where… where am I…?" Lloyd asked himself groggily; he spotted his boots at the foot of the bed, and put them on. He walked over to the window, and he gasped loudly at what he saw.

The sky was the pit of darkness, lighted by the stars, and angels below his location were floating around aimlessly…

"What in the-" he began, when he heard the door whiz open; he turned around and saw the auburn-haired seraph in different attire – he wore a white outfit that had straps around his waist, with purple running down his sleeves and pant legs.

"Oh, Lloyd, I didn't know you were awake." Kratos told the boy; who began to stare nervously at the man; each step Kratos made as he advanced to where the red-clad teen was he flinched. He wanted to run away, but his feet felt like they were glued to the floor; Kratos finally arrived to where Lloyd stood, and placed his hand upon his shoulders.

"Le-Let me go…!" Lloyd shouted frantically, fear of not knowing what will happen to him.

"Lloyd, calm yourself; take this." Kratos said, holding a mug.

"N-no…! I don't know who you are anymore…!"

"That's an order, young man. Now not another word – this will make you relax some more, and when you wake up again, I will explain everything to you." he told the boy, placing the mug in his quivering hands; Lloyd was too nervous to move his hands to drink from the cup as he was too scared to set it down and not drink it. After minutes had passed and not a single drip was drunk, Kratos took the mug and sat it down on the table – he then proceeded to sit Lloyd on his lap as he poured the liquid down Lloyd's throat; he gagged tremendously, before he ultimately passed out.

"Sleep well, my son, for you will need it."

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_**Me:** Okay, hopefully that came out okay! And before I forget, this'll be a lot slower than it was previously. Anyway, nothing much left to say, so... Review please!_


	2. Come With Me and Understand

_**The Sage of Spirits: **Wow, I didn't expect such so many reviews... _n.n' _Anyway, one was told about last chapter, and the other... well, they didn't review. Which I actually expected, really. RR, that was for you. _n.n' _Anyway, I don't own Tales of Namco. Read please.

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**Come With Me**

**Chapter 2: Come With Me and Understand**

Lloyd sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He felt the comforter of the bed and merely thought that he was on his bed back in the Iselia Forest; that was until he saw the walls of the room he was in. His eyes drooped down as he sighed.

_So it wasn't a dream…_ he thought, as he decided to look around the place; he first stopped at the desk in the corner, where he saw a picture of a beautiful woman and child – when he suddenly realized that those people in the picture were him and his mother, Anna…

"Mom…" he uttered, picking the picture from the wooden desk. He was so engrossed in the picture he failed to notice the swordsman coming from behind him. He placed his hand on the teen's shoulder; Lloyd flinched. "Who's there?!" he shouted, turning himself to face the auburn-haired seraph. Lloyd hurriedly placed the picture on the desk and stepped back from the man. Kratos sighed to himself, knowing that Lloyd was still wary of him.

"I understand that you are still nervous around me…" he said. "Come with me and I'll tell you the whole story about your mother…" he told the boy as he went over to the bed and sat down. Lloyd hesitantly stepped forward, his eyes staring at the man. He edged closer until he sat himself down onto the bed next to Kratos. Kratos felt this strange urge to do something he had not done in ages…

He lifted his hand up onto the teen's head and proceeded to play with his hair. Lloyd gasped; he had wanted this longing feeling for so long now… As he gasped, Kratos instantly removed his hand from the teen's head as his hand hovered over it.

Lloyd slowly reached for the hand that hovered over his head, pushing it downwards onto his brown hair again; Kratos began to rub the boy's hair again as he began his tale. "Let me see… It all started eighteen years ago, when I regained something that I had long lost – my emotions."

"What? You had… lost your emotions? How?" Lloyd interjected, sounding utterly surprised.

Yes; it happens later on. Now where was I… Ah yes… You see, I was on Sylvarant for some time checking over the Desian Ranches when I saw Kvar terrorizing a family. It was a small family: a couple, a son and a daughter." Kratos stopped temporarily to see if the boy was actually listening.

"Was the girl…Mom…?" he said, no louder than a whisper; Kratos nodded his head weakly.

"Yes. I watched as Kvar mercilessly killed her parents before her very eyes; her screams could have pierced through one's soul. I was somehow intrigued in watching her, so I flew down and hid in nearby. Then her brother tried to stop Kvar, but Kvar rammed his staff into him…" he said, pausing as if to provide dramatic suspense.

"I watched as the staff exited through his back – he was dead upon the strike." Kratos continued, watching as his son winced at the tale. "That was when he knocked out your mother and dragged her to the ranch."

"Is that when you regained your emotions?" Lloyd asked, his interest in the story outweighing his nervousness around the angel.

"Yes; watching her as she was desperately terrified awakened my senses. It was then I swore that I would rescue her from Kvar. Several days later I walked into the ranch – being a Seraph, thus higher than any Desian, I was let in without much of a fuss." Kratos smirked slightly, giving the teen a small shock. "I then sneaked into the prisons and found her sleeping in rags. I destroyed the cell gate and grabbed her; I left the ranch when I noticed that she had a peculiar exsphere on her neck."

"This one?" Lloyd then responded, pointing to his exsphere; Kratos nodded slowly and continued.

"I carried her back to her house, where I had intended to leave her, but something… unexpected happened – I stared into her green eyes as she stared at mine and we fell in love." he told the boy as he continued to rub Lloyd's hair. Lloyd looked up at the Seraph and noticed how he appeared to be out of thought, his eyes disoriented as if he stared into the future. "I knew I should protect her and find a way to have her exsphere removed. So she packed up her most precious things and we took off. I couldn't reveal to her that I was an angel though, so we walked instead."

"What happened after that?"

"Kvar happened. He managed to find us a year later and I had to get her away as quickly as possible. And there was only one way I could do that… I released my wings and scooped her into my arms, flying off into the sunset…" he mused more to himself than to Lloyd, as he remembered those days of old.

"When we landed, she gave me this look – I do not know if you remember it, but it was something she did whenever she wanted answers. So I explained everything to her. I thought she would leave me – we had grown attached to each other by then, and I would have killed myself if she had left."

"So then she accepted you?" Lloyd said; he was lying on his stomach on the bed, Kratos' hand still resting on Lloyd's head. He had taken off his boots as his feet tangled in the air.

"Yes, miraculously. That night, we… umm… moving on," Kratos blushed as he saw Lloyd's mouth gape open, his cheeks turning red. "A few days later, we found that she was pregnant with you." Lloyd's blush turned a deeper red, as it slowly covered his entire face. "So we hurried to find a dwarf to make a Key Crest, while we were on the run with you. It was tough for Anna, but she survived. Eventually, she gave birth to you, and I remember the smile on Anna's face when she saw you…"

"What did you think of me?"

"I felt… strange. It must have been because of the many years I had spent without emotions, but I felt weird." Kratos admitted to the teen. "But once I got over the shock of feeling again, I felt… happy… proud…"

Lloyd began to smile gently as he heard the man speak. Suddenly, he began to frown. "You talk as if you didn't have emotions for a hundred years!" he said, not knowing all of the secrets of the man. Kratos coughed lightly, trying to move away from that topic for now. "Oh… Sorry…"

"Moving on… When you were born we traveled around, continuing our search for a dwarf. When you turned three, we heard of a dwarf near Iselia. We were chased all the way there, but Anna never lost hope. But then we were trapped by Kvar…" Kratos said his hand turning into a fist; his eyes turned angry as they turned into a glare. "We tried to get to the dwarf – who I later found out to be Dirk – but he surrounded us and pulled Anna away from me. That was when he removed the exsphere."

Lloyd gasped lightly. "I… I have dreams about that. I saw Mom turn into this monster… I thought they were just nightmares…" Lloyd said, widening his eyes in shock. "Are you saying that it actually happened…?"

Kratos stared at the teen in slight fear; he remembered those events? "You… remember all of that?"

"Only the part of Mom turning into a monster…" Lloyd sighed, sitting up from his laying position. Kratos sighed as well; he knew he had to finish the story…

"Well, after she was turned into a monster, she attacked us; then she somehow managed to regain control of herself… And asked me to kill her…" Kratos said, each word straining to come out; he had to force the words out through sheer will.

Lloyd gaped open his mouth as his eyed widened yet again; did he…? Did his father…really…?

"She lost control again and tried to attack you and I… I…" he paused, unable to go through the pain again. "I…killed her."

Lloyd felt the stinging of his eyes as tears tried to flow from his eyes. So it was true; Kratos had killed his mother… Kratos saw the distraught look on his son's face when he was summoned to the door. One of the angels had appeared with the crest Yggdrasil had ordered to be attached to Lloyd's exsphere. Kratos turned his eyes to the teen, who was still on the bed, in a state of shock.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry; I didn't want to… After I lost her – and eventually you – I was taken back here, where I had planned to take my own life so that I may return to my family. It was only after a friend of mine who had stopped me did I decide to live on for the both of you." he said, tilting his head downward to avoid looking at his son in the eye. Lloyd stood up as he edged closer to the man – much to his shock. He saw the guilt written all over the man's face, yet he could not find it in him to be angry – which surprised him the most, actually.

"You… really loved Mom, didn't you?" he said, no louder than a whisper. Kratos' eyes appeared slightly misty – knowing that he could not cry, his expression showing he was out of it; but he nodded weakly nonetheless. "I… As much as I would want to be, I… can't be angry at you… Da…" he paused, gasping loudly; he almost-!

Kratos looked up at the boy, whose eyes appeared gentle despite the anger that was obviously present in now knowing of these events; at least Kratos thought his son was angry – he had a right to be... "You've… You've suffered greatly…"

Lloyd sighed, turning his head away. "Not as much as you have… D…" Kratos slightly perked at the word that always vanished off of the tip of his son's tongue.

"I understand if you don't want to call me that…" Lloyd turned his head back toward the man, slightly shocked and startled by his father's words.

"No, no! It's not that! I just… need time… You know, to let it sink in… Then… when it finally hits me… I can call you that without hesitation…" Lloyd yawned exhaustedly; his head felt like it was spinning after all of the information he had just received. Kratos noticed the teen's tiredness as he placed the object he received on his desk. He then walked over to the boy, pushing him back down onto the bed. The impact must have been too much for him.

"I understand. Let it sink in that I… am your father. But for now, go to sleep. There is something that I need to talk to you about later." Kratos said, running his hand through Lloyd's hair in an attempt to get him to sleep. Lloyd found that he had a hard time staying awake, when his eyes shut; he was fast asleep.

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_**Me:** I had planned to work with the crest Kratos received, but I decided against it because it would ruin the moment - at least I thought it would. Review please!_


	3. Come With Me and Accept

_**The Sage of Spirits: **Okay, I wanted to get another chapter of this up before I started my second half of updates (as the first half is now complete. _n.n_) So this isn't included in the second half. And Beta Reviewer, I hate to put you in the spotight, but I wanted to thank you for the criticism - as there was no other way to reply to your review. However, due to recent anon. review spamming about politics, I blocked anon. reviewing. So sorry about that. _n.n"_ I don't own Tales of Namco. Read please.

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**Come With Me**

**Chapter 3: Come With Me and Accept**

The next two or three days (as he lost track of what day it was) after he was told of his past, Lloyd found himself sitting at the desk, mulling over the idea of his origins. Kratos seemed to have decided to leave the teen be, allowing him to think by himself, as Lloyd had yet to see him since that particular day. However, Kratos did think to leave food for him outside of the doorway, opening the door remotely so that Lloyd might be able get hold of it. Lloyd would eat, but otherwise he was always lost in thought, a now usual thing for him.

To think Kratos – of all people – was his father…

_Well, I guess I should have noticed…_ he thought, easing his head into his hand, his elbow resting on the desk. _After all, I was the only one he ever opened up to… I think… Yet I always thought of him as an older brother! But he's my… my father…_

Lloyd looked at the picture on the desk again for what felt like the thousandth time that day. He saw the caring smile on Kratos' face as his eyes looked down at the child – no, himself – in his mother's arms. Without noticing his reflection in the glass, Lloyd began to smile.

_I always heard your voice with that one memory of us together, when we looked at the stars… Yet I couldn't remember your face… _he mused some more, his smile slowly disappearing. _It feels… weird, to know that Kratos – who looks only a bit older than me – is my dad…_

_Yet I somehow hoped it would be him, ever since he started… taking care of me during the journey._

Lloyd was lost within his thoughts as a being came through the door; he walked up to him and placed the palm of his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Gah!" the teen shouted, spinning around on the chair, only to fall off of it. With upside-down vision, he saw Kratos looking down at him. "Oh, it's just you…" he said, rolling backwards onto his feet.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know…" Lloyd replied, eyes downcast. "I'm just so confused… You look like you could be my older brother. Just how old are you?" he asked, looking up into his face; Kratos turned his head, his eyes looking at the nearby wall.

"That's not important right now. There's something we need to do. Sit on the bed, please." he told the boy, who walked over and sat down. "I… need to put this crest onto your exsphere."

"What? Why? What will it do? Will it hurt? Why-" Lloyd asked; Kratos brought his finger onto Lloyd's lips, silencing him.

"This is a crest that will awaken your dormant abilities. I've been trying to avoid having to do this, but I cannot keep Yggdrasil at bay any longer. In other words, this will make you an angel… like… me." Lloyd widened his eyes with a look of… disgust? Horror? Kratos could not decide what fit best.

"That… thing… will make me an angel? My friends are probably dead. Dead. And you want me to help the one that probably killed them?!" Lloyd now shouted, knocking over the chair nearby. Kratos grabbed his shirt.

"Get a hold of yourself! This is not the place to do this!" he warned, loosening his grip on his shirt, placing him back onto the bed. "Plus we do not know if Yggdrasil killed them – we left before then. Calm down – we can ask him when we meet with him."

Lloyd blinked his eyes a few times. "What? He wants us to meet with him? Why?!"

"What did I tell you? Relax." Kratos repeated once more. "He said something that he needs to speak with you. I can only assume that he will most likely make you join Cruxis."

"Well you can tell him-"

"Lloyd, another outburst like that and I might have to embarrass you in a way you would not imagine." Kratos glared at him, a gulp slipping out from the boy's mouth. "Lloyd, if you do not join, he may kill you. I swore to your mother that I would not let you join her so soon. I thought I had broken that promise years ago, but I found that I have not when I saw you on Sylvarant. Please, you have to live – for the both of us." Kratos explained; Lloyd felt his eyes slightly water.

"All… Alright… I'll do it for you… and Mom." he relented with a sigh, his eyes drooping once more. Kratos removed Lloyd's exsphere and changed the current Key Crest with the new one; the exsphere was about to make contact onto his skin when Kratos hovered it over his hand. It was just so hard to do… "What's wrong?"

"This will hurt. Probably a lot." Kratos told Lloyd (as well as himself, to hide his own doubt) as he placed the stone back on his hand. Lloyd looked down at the stone with slight fear. Instantaneously, a tremendous amount of pain coursed through his entire being; he lunged forward as he began gasping for air. He would have fallen onto the ground if not for Kratos taking hold of him. Lloyd tried to scream but his voice would not respond to his instinct. After a minute in, the pain suddenly stopped.

"Why… why must it be… so painful?" he tried to shout, his voice still sore for some reason unknown to him. Kratos helped him onto the bed again, so he might be able to sit properly; he then began to examine Lloyd's face. "What are you doing?"

Kratos released a small sigh. "It was a success." he said simply.

"How… do you know? I don't see any wings behind me…"

"The wings will take some more time – not much, seeing that you have had your wings since you were born. And as for how one can tell… Well, take a look in the picture frame. If you can see your reflection, that is." Kratos responded; Lloyd got up – although he was still in pain, so Kratos had to support him – and walked to the picture. He stared at the slight reflection of his face and noticed nothing.

"What's different? I don't see it." he said, tilting his head at different angles. Kratos lifted the wooden frame and placed it in front of Lloyd's eyes. "Whoa! My… my eyes aren't… brown… anymore…" he said, trying to adjust to his new eyes' color.

"If the process was a success, the color of your eyes is the only instant change that you will have. Since your eyes have taken the usual reddish hue, it worked. However, Yggdrasil wishes to see you soon. So I have something to give you." he said, reaching into his pouch; he pulled out a set of white clothes.

"What is that thing on your side?" Lloyd asked, pointing to the pouch. "And why do I have to change clothes?"

"The pouch is called a 'wing pack' – it holds anything that you desire. There is one being prepared for you." Kratos replied, placing the clothes into his son's hands. "And as for the clothes, it is a way of respect – Yggdrasil will be angry if he sees you in the clothes you wear now. So these are the clothes you will be wearing from now on." Lloyd looked at the man with a distraught gaze, before sighing once more.

"Alright, I'll change… Just uh…" he blushed slightly; Kratos chuckled weakly, understanding what he meant, and walked out of the room.

"Walk through the door when you have finished, it is unlocked." Ten minutes later, Lloyd walked out of the room. "Hmm…" Kratos did not know what to think – it was just… awkward, not seeing Lloyd in his red dwarf outfit. "Do you like it?"

"I don't know. I mean, the red scarf seems too fancy for me, but I still like it for some reason. Same thing for everything red on this, from my pant legs to the red bands around the neck. But does there have to be gold on the front? It makes me feel inferior." he said with a slight pout. Kratos looked over the teen's new apparel.

"I don't know, but the blue on your sleeves and pant legs suit you." he replied, unfurling his wings. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"And how are we going to go there?"

"Simple. I will carry you. Oh, and before we go," Kratos began, "there are some things you should know. Do not speak unless spoken to, kneel when we arrive and bow your head. Understood?"

"I think. Kneel, bow head, and don't talk unless you have to. Right?"

"Yes. And do not forget to call him 'Lord Yggdrasil' either, or who knows what will happen. Now hold tight." The man said, tossing Lloyd over his shoulders. He took off – despite the teen's shouts of fear and fury – and flew through the city until they arrived at the castle; Kratos then placed Lloyd onto solid – though floating – ground, which he would have kissed if they were not in a hurry. They walked side by side through the double doors, eventually warping further in, with the help of an intricate glyph on the ground. They slowly walked up to the man on the throne; Lloyd lightly gulped, keeping his eyes onto the ground. Once they were in front of him, Kratos knelt onto his left knee, Lloyd following soon after.

"Ah, it certainly is nice to see you again, Kratos. And I am glad that you came with him, Lloyd. I have something to ask you, as well as something that I must tell you… about your friends." Yggdrasil said, a smile growing on his face. Lloyd gasped softly; what did he know about his friends?! "First, I want you to agree to join my fine organization, Cruxis. Will you accept? If not, I will have to eliminate you. I do hope it doesn't come to that." he continued, his smile twisting into something far more complex.

Lloyd kept his head at a bow. "I… I will accept… L-Lord… Yggdrasil…" he stuttered, not wanting to know the wrath of this terribly powerful being. Yggdrasil's smile could have pierced through his soul, if Lloyd had dared to look; nonetheless, Yggdrasil was pleased – the father and now the son, both within his grasp…

"I am glad; you have made the right decision. Now, the second matter I must address is if your father placed the crest I gave him on your exsphere. Well Kratos? Has that matter been taken care of?"

"Yes. It was done not long ago." Kratos responded swiftly, not bothering to lift his head.

"I see. Then all is taken care of. Now, about you friends, dear Lloyd," he said with such a tone that made Lloyd want to cringe, "it seems that the Renegades took your friends away, later killing them. The Renegades try to oppose US," Yggdrasil emphasized, including Lloyd – which made him want to hide somewhere in terror, "where they go so far as to disguise themselves as Desians. Now, I will decide your placement soon. You may go to your father's quarters – I will have the angels begin work on your own room next to Kratos'. You are dismissed." he said simply; Kratos stood, Lloyd following him in silence.

_And so his change will begin… It is time to start phase two of my plan…_ Yggdrasil laughed in his mind, watching them take their leave.

They walked back to the front gate of the castle, Kratos noticing his son's unusual quietness. "Come with me, Lloyd – I'll take you back to my room…" he said softly, lifting the teen into his arms. Lloyd placed his head on Kratos' shoulder and cried the entire flight until he was placed on the bed, where he then fell asleep.

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_**Me:** Ooh, what is Yggy planning? _:O _Well, that's for me to know and for all of you to wait. Heheheh... It should be revealed in the chapter after next chapter. Maybe, if I feel like putting it in there. I have this mentally outlined, I just need to get it down as an actual outline... _n.n"_ Review please!_


	4. Come With Me and Fly

**Come With Me**

**Chapter 4: Come With Me and Fly**

Lloyd did not remember what had happened the last few days. (Or what he assumed was the last few days.) He did not remember eating anything, either. His stomach ached as it cried for food, and looked around. A tray of food. Glorious food. Where did that come from? No matter. It was there, and it will soon be in his belly.

He got off the bed he found himself on, making his way to the prepared morsels of juicy meat, baked potatoes and carrots, a cup of milk on the side. He picked it up, going over to the desk nearby. He found that same picture he always looked at – his family. He gasped lightly, suddenly remembering where he was.

Shaking his head, he sat down and began to eat. Everything else had to wait until he finished. How it felt so good to appease his growling stomach. But turning his head back to the picture, his thoughts went elsewhere. Where was his father?

_Well, he'll come when he's ready._ he figured, going back to eating. By then, he realized, he had finished eating the meat. _Aw, that was the best part of this._ he frowned, cutting the potato in half. However, midway through finishing the starch, he began to think of Kratos again. Had he visited him? What was he doing? What had happened the past few days?

_I gotta stop doing this and just focus on eating._ he sighed, noting how he absent-mindedly finished his potato. _Great, now I missed eating that too._ he thought somewhat angrily, taking a drink of his milk.

Suddenly, the door opened. "Oh, good. You're up." Kratos said to the teen. He walked over, planting his hand onto his shoulder. "And you're eating too. That's good."

Lloyd looked up to the man, tilting his head. "What happened the last few days?" he said, taking a bite of one of the carrots. "I don't remember anything at all."

Kratos pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "Well, it's been roughly three days since you were last up." he replied, ignoring the light gasp from Lloyd. "You were in a non-responsive depression. I've walked in at different times to check on you and you were either staring blankly at the wall or sleeping."

Lloyd hung his head slightly. "Really?" he asked eyes half-closed. "I don't remember any of that."

"That's only natural." Kratos responded. "You were saddened at the news you had learned. So it's common to do nothing and not remember it, when you don't have the will."

"Oh… Yeah… That's right… Guys…" he muttered, bringing his hand up to his face. His stared at it angrily. "I'll avenge you guys some day. Who did Yggdrasil say killed them again?"

"He said that it was the Renegades." Kratos responded, thoughtful. "That does seem to be plausible. They are against Martel's rebirth, and the Chosen is thus an obstacle to them. So killing her and your friends is something that could occur."

"I guess I really do have no other choice but to be in Cruxis…" Lloyd said with a sigh, planting his head into his hands. "I can't go back, knowing my friends are dead. It would just be an ugly reminder."

Kratos turned his head away. "I suppose it's natural for you to want to be back in Iselia. But then you would be questioned, and even killed, seeing that you would have been the only one to have returned." he said, lowering his head. "That would be suspicious to some, seeing how the world was not entirely regenerated. They might think you killed them."

"What?!" Lloyd shouted, jumping out of his seat. The chair fell backwards, landing on the ground. "Why would they think that?! I would never do that!"

"I know," the man reassured, standing up. He placed his hands onto both shoulders. "But people who are desperate for regeneration will not care. You were with the Chosen – they would use you as their scapegoat and kill you."

Lloyd's eyes turned desperate, trying to fight off what Kratos told him. "But I wouldn't do anything to Colette! I…" he mumbled, voice growing weaker. Thoughts turned toward the people of Iselia – their stone-cold eyes beating at him. Their faces swirled around him, their evil smirks screaming "Die." "They would… do that to me…" he said, lowering his head.

"See what I told you? They would use you as the root of their problems." Kratos responded, unknowing what to do. He wanted to wrap his arms around him in comfort, but was too afraid to. What would Lloyd say if he did that? "So even though you will have to give up your old life, it will keep you away from them." he said in accidental distaste, obviously angered.

_He… got angry. Why?_ Lloyd asked himself, slightly confused. But soon a small smile grew on his face. "Thanks." he said.

Kratos flinched. Why was he being thanked? "What do you mean?"

"You got angry at them using me for their anger. Thanks." he said.

"Anyone would be concerned if they felt that someone they cared for would get hurt." he replied, eyes half-closed. "Even though I would rather have you away from Cruxis, there's no other option. But," he countered, turning back towards his son, "if I know you are here, I know you will be safe. I'm sorry."

"It's… okay." Lloyd replied as his eyes closed. "I know that you were trying, and that's all you can do. And I'm… grateful for that."

Kratos gasped lightly, though his mouth barely opened. "Thank you, Lloyd. Now I want you to come with me for a bit. I want to check the status of your wing development."

"Huh? Why?" the teen replied, tilting his head. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not entirely. It is just that when I visited you while you were in that depressed state, I thought I saw something. So I want to check on you wing development status to see if your wings are coming." he said, gesturing with his hand to come over.

Lloyd sighed; he was going to get carried again, he could just feel it. "You aren't going to carry me again, are you?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"Actually, no – we can walk there. However, this is a bit more urgent, so I decided to get us there faster. That is, if you would mind coming a little closer." he said, holding out his hand.

Lloyd took a cautious step forward. He brought out his hand, but quickly retracted it. Wait, what did he have to be afraid of? He knew that Kratos was not going to hurt him. But he did not know what the man had in store.

"Come along, Lloyd. This needs to be checked on or you might get injured."

What? Injured? Why would he get hurt? That made him move. He did not know what could be the matter, but it made him walk closer. He would have ran into Kratos had he not placed his hands onto Lloyd's shoulders. Suddenly, he felt strange. What was going on? He looked around, the room suddenly flashing white. "Lloyd, close your eyes." He could only hear the voice of his father, and did as he instructed. Everything went black.

"You can open your eyes now." he heard the voice again and opened his eyes. Lloyd gasped; they were in an entirely different room. "You, get me the Wing Development Analyzer." Kratos ordered one of the angels. He received a strange hand-held device.

"That's it? Why couldn't you just bring it with you?" the teen asked, disappointed at the size of the machine. Concern quickly got the better of him, however, and he forgot about the teleporting and his disappointment. He shook quietly as Kratos fiddled with the machine in his hands.

Kratos shook his head. "Any equipment here cannot be removed or an alarm goes off, so we must come here in order to use it." he explained, pointing the device at Lloyd. "It should be completely painless."

"It should be? What does that mean?"

"Well, it does not hurt an angel."

"That's reassuring." Lloyd responded, rolling his eyes. "Will it hurt or not?" he said with a slight snide.

"We will have to see, won't we? Hold still." Kratos replied, pushing the button. It flashed for a few seconds, a green aura surrounding the teen. Immediately, a tiny grid image of Lloyd appeared above the machine, giving his current status. "That's…interesting."

"What?" Lloyd asked, shocked.

"It says that your wings are ready, which means that they should be coming any minute. Quickly, take off your top." he said with such urgency, Lloyd swiftly unbuttoned his jacket, panic surging through him. He then threw off his top. What was going to happen to him?

"What's going to happen to me?" he said, his eyes shaking in fear.

"Lloyd, remain calm. It's standard procedure. It's in case, when your wings come out, they rip through your clothes." Kratos replied as his eye twitched.

"Are you lying?" Lloyd asked suddenly, fears rising. "Your eye twitches sometimes when you lie. What's really going to happen? Will I die?" he said, as if having some dreadful realization.

Kratos held back a grunt. He could not believe Lloyd knew about that. "No, you won't die. I asked you to remove your top because your wings might break through. It might rip through your back and then your clothing." Kratos said, placing his hand onto his forehead. "It's only a slight chance that it will happen that way though."

"Great, I might die bleeding out." Lloyd said, feeling his body shake. He fell onto his knees, terrified. All of the sudden, he screamed.

"They're coming, Lloyd. Be strong." Kratos said, holding onto Lloyd's back. He looked back at the analyzer in his other hand. The grid picture of his son blinked red, causing the man to gasp. "It should be… Now!" he said in a stern voice, as Lloyd's wings flashed into existence.

Lloyd's eyes were completely wide, as he slowly turned his head. An inaudible sound escaped his lips. Kratos could not tell whether he was shocked or pained. Examining the boy's back, there were no exit wounds. Good. He would not have to call the medical angels. He released a sigh of relief he never knew he had. "Lloyd, are you alright? Are you feeling any pain?"

"N-No…" he stuttered, staring at the blue wings flapping mindlessly behind him. He slowly raised his hands to his back, just touching the feathers. Instantly, he drew it back, as if the down would crumble by his hand. "I'm… I'm fine. Just relieved…" he gasped, a smile eventually appearing on his face. He weakly laughed.

"Are you… feeling alright?" Kratos asked, confused by the teen's behavior. "Use your mind and will to return your wings into your back." Kratos instructed. Lloyd closed his eyes, thinking of himself without wings. They dematerialized as Kratos handed the teen his top and jacket. He put them on swiftly, feeling rather modest about his appearance.

"I'm fine, really. I'm… shocked. This feels like a dream…" he gasped, running his hands through his hair. His eyes were still widened from the surprise.

Kratos faintly smiled. "I'm glad you find this incredible, but it's all real. I'm also pleased that nothing happened – you were rather lucky."

Lloyd winced slightly, a small grin exposed. "Yeah, I guess I was. I was thinking there would be blood everywhere." he replied, chuckling weakly. He then had a thoughtful expression, cocking his head to the side. "And you were with me the entire time I was… nervous."

Kratos coughed. "Well, I could not have you undergo such a life-changing transformation without me there beside you. I do not know what I would have done had you been a worst-case scenario." he said, closing his eyes.

"Thanks." Lloyd said with a bit of happiness. "Thanks for showing me you care."

"Anytime. Now then, why don't we practice how to use those new appendages of yours?" Kratos asked, a slight smirk on his face. Anything to distract the teen from the horror he bore witness to. Watching him grin, he got up and ran over to the man. He led Lloyd to the courtyard, where their practice started to take flight…

* * *

_**Sage:** Okay, it's been a while, and I have to say this: I have this story all planned out. lol 50 chapters total. A lot longer than the older one, and a lot slower too. Next, I don't own Namco or ToS. (I'm trying something new with A/N being only on the bottom for some stories.) And I'm sure you were hoping that he was actually going to fly. Well, I thought about it, and decided against it after a while - mainly because of length and it didn't feel like it fit here - he'll have written fun flying later. And I'm trying to make this a slight 'challenge' in that I'm trying to keep this around 2,000 words each chapter, with only one so far being more than that (probably). And I have to say, I think I might like doing the next chapter - it's EVIL. Heheheh... Anything else I'm forgetting? ...Ah yes! Lloyd has not officially said "Dad" yet. Just building things up before the D-word passes through his lips. _:D_ Review Please._


	5. Come With Me and Dream

**Come With Me**

**Chapter 5: Come With Me and Dream**

_**-Eleven Days (1 Week, 4 Days)-**_

_**I am a loyal Cruxis angel. I am a loyal Cruxis angel. I am a loyal Cruxis angel. I am a loyal Cruxis angel. I am a loyal Cruxis angel…**_

"I am a… loyal…Cruxis an…gel…"

_**Lord Yggdrasil will save the worlds. Lord Yggdrasil will save the worlds. Lord Yggdrasil will save the worlds. Lord Yggdrasil will save the worlds. Lord Yggdrasil will save the worlds…**_

"Lord… Ygg…drasil will…save the…worlds…"

_**The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies. The Chosens and their friends are my enemies…**_

"The Cho…sens and…their…friends are…my enemies…"

_**I will do what I can to aid Cruxis. I will do what I can to aid Cruxis. I will do what I can to aid Cruxis. I will do what I can to aid Cruxis. I will do what I can to aid Cruxis. I will do what I can to aid Cruxis…**_

"I will… do what… I can… to aid… Cruxis…"

_**The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil. The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil…**_

"The Desians… are pawns… that serve us… Cruxis angels… like myself and… Lord Ygg… drasil…"

_**Humans and elves are inferior.**_ _**Humans and elves are inferior. Humans and elves are inferior. Humans and elves are inferior. Humans and elves are inferior. Humans and elves are inferior…**_

"Humans… and elves… are… inferior…"

_**I am glad to be a Cruxis angel. I am glad to be a Cruxis angel. I am glad to be a Cruxis angel. I am glad to be a Cruxis angel. I am glad to be a Cruxis angel. I am glad to be a Cruxis angel…**_

"I am… glad to… be a… Cruxis… angel…"

_**I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil. I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil. I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil. I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil. I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil. I will not betray Lord Yggdrasil…**_

"I will… not be… tray Lord… Yggdrasil…"

* * *

Lloyd woke up to see his father's face. He gasped loudly, instinctively and quickly forcing the man away with his hands. Upon rubbing his eyes free of sand, he spotted the white apparel of the man. He turned his head away slightly. "Sorry. I don't like waking up to see someone hanging over me like that."

Kratos shifted himself appropriately, setting himself further down on the bed. "It's alright. I have brought some food for you." he said, pointing to the desk. Lloyd spotted the dish, the meat simmering in a mixture of potatoes. A glass of milk sat beside it. For some reason, that made Lloyd feel sick. He moaned. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah – that makes my stomach feel sick. And that shouldn't happen." he said, looking at the tray of food. Instantly, he felt something build up in his throat, and looked away. "I don't even feel hungry."

"I see. Well, eat it this time and if you find that it has no taste, you are losing your need for food." Lloyd twisted his lips in disgust, his eyes quivering nervously. He did not like that idea. "Lloyd, how do you expect to figure out if you are losing your need of hunger if you do not eat? You could just be sick."

"W-Well, I guess that's true, but…" Lloyd muttered, biting his lips. "I feel like throwing up just looking at it. Isn't that a symptom of losing the need to eat?"

Kratos shook his head. "Not necessarily. I can remember getting an illness just before losing the ability to eat, just as someone else I know." he said, grabbing the boy's hand and dragging him to the desk. He pulled out the chair and watched as Lloyd sat down. He slowly reached for the fork, retracting it suddenly as if it would bite back. However, a stern look from Kratos hurried his hand. "Go on."

Sighing, he slowly cut the steak, still feeling rather nervous. He placed his knife onto the tray and stuck his fork into one of the pieces. Lifting his fork to his mouth, it hung in front of it. He looked back at Kratos, who stared annoyingly at him, causing him to swiftly placing the piece onto his tongue. Instantly, he spit it back out. "Yuck! That tasted like… I don't know, but that does not taste like a steak!" he shouted, pushing the tray back without causing too much of a mess.

"I see. Well, then you are losing your need for food then." Kratos replied, picking up the tray and dropping it in front of the door. "You will no longer be given food, as it will only be a waste. Enjoy sleeping while you can, as that will follow shortly thereafter."

Lloyd sighed heavily, placing his hand onto his forehead. "I guess I should. Geez, I never realized how much I took sleeping for granted." he said, widening his eyes slightly in shock. "I should go back to sleep or something." he joked somewhat, causing Kratos to place his hand onto the boy's shoulder. "I was joking."

"Good. You should not waste the days sleeping when there are plenty of things you could be doing." he said with a light chide.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Lloyd replied with a weak chuckle, lowering his head. "You know, I think I understand you a little better now after spending all this time with you." he said, staring at his bare hands. "I mean, I guess that's going to happen when we're here, but I didn't realize how much we covered in over a week. At least I think it was over a week." he said, looking up at the man.

"Really? I feel that only a little progress was made."

Lloyd cocked his head in small shock. "Huh. Maybe. I guess it's just me." he said, placing his hand onto his chin, stoking it thoughtfully. "Well, I found that you're strict with a lot of things, but have your way of saying you care without revealing it."

"It seems that you've learned that much, though I believe you learned that earlier, when I was training you to fight better." he said, closing his eyes. He folded his arms, nodding his head lightly.

"Well yeah, but that was just confirmed again is all." he grinned weakly with a chuckle. "But I think I feel as comfortable around you as I did before." He said, trying to push back everything else that was associated with that particular thought. He was not going to continuously grieve for them – they were looking after him, after all. He had to be strong. But for some reason, their memory was not as clear as before…

Kratos hummed to himself; apparently, that surprised him. "That is interesting still. I suppose the next thing will be you will-" he stopped suddenly, as if he did not want to jinx anything. "At any rate, I want to evaluate your capabilities in aerodynamics."

Lloyd nodded his head, unveiling his wings. "Okay." he said, standing up and heading for the door. "Well, what are you waiting for? You have me practicing my flying skills in every waking hour, especially after that one incident." he said, looking away. How embarrassing to have done that, especially in front of his father…

Kratos coughed lightly. "I was slightly startled that you understood how I phrased it. Is that another thing you picked up earlier?" he asked with a sigh, following the teen out the door. He flew into the air behind him, making sure that he would be able to catch him, just in case. After all, Lloyd did have that rough start…

"Uh, sort of." he replied while rubbing his neck and turning his head to the man. "Part of it then, part of it a little while back. That's one of the things I picked up while here." he responded, continuing his flight through the city. "By the way," he said after a while, the consuming silence getting a little too uncomfortable, "where should I stop?"

Kratos stopped flying for a moment as Lloyd continued on, unknowing. After turning around and spotting how far back his father was, he flew back. "We'll head to Vinheim. There is something I need to do there." he said, watching the boy shiver slightly; Lloyd had not been there since he became a part of Cruxis. He supposed that was to be expected. "You're doing fine with flying, unlike your first time at it."

Lloyd gasped lightly, feeling his cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Well, it was my first time." he said in his defense, turning his head away. "Geez, you're not going to forget that, are you?" Lloyd saw a tug at the end of Kratos' mouth. "That would be a 'no…'"

"Less talk, more flying. Let's get to Vinheim." Kratos said, waiting for the teen to continue. With a sigh, Lloyd swerved through the city – Kratos on his tail, eventually landing onto the teleporter that led into Vinheim. "Good work, Lloyd. You are improving, just make sure that you do not slack off."

"Well, that felt familiar." the teen said with a slight smirk. They warped to the castle, spotting the Dark Dragon guarding the entrance to the main entrance. "So what do you need to do?"

"I was informed by one of the angels that I was to see Lord Yggdrasil." he said, unaware of the light gasp that escaped his son's mouth; Lloyd's mouth hung open only slightly, missed by Kratos' scrutiny. "I want to see how you do flying back, so wait here." he said, walking up the stairs.

Sighing to himself, he plopped himself down onto the stone floor off to the side of the stairs. His mind replayed the two words Kratos had said earlier. "Lord Yggdrasil…" he said to himself, his eyes turning distant. His bangs covered his forehead, a confused but small smile on his face. "Lord Yggdrasil will… save the worlds." Why did that feel so right? Where had he heard that before? He could not remember, so it did not matter, he figured.

Thinking about that phrase, he felt something else. What was it? Superiority? Over what, exactly? He suddenly realized why. "Humans and elves are inferior." he said, narrowing his eyes unintentionally and folding his hand into a fist. He gritted his teeth for a moment, when he widened his eyes. "Wait, weren't my friends humans and elves?" he asked himself, trying to remember. He shook his head. "They're just exceptions. Yeah, that's it. Exceptions." he decided, his eyes narrowing again.

"Lloyd, whatever are you doing?" Kratos asked the teen, causing him to gasp loudly.

Lloyd quickly smiled back at him. "It's nothing, I was just thinking about something." he said, tilting his head at his father's expression. "Anyway, so what did you need to see him with?"

"Ah, yes," Kratos responded, placing his hand onto his forehead and rubbing it gently, "Lord Yggdrasil has your rank just about ready, and wants to see you tomorrow in his castle." he said, placing a hand onto Lloyd's shoulder. "That is what he wanted to talk to me about. He says that tomorrow will truly mark you as a 'Cruxis angel.'"

_Cruxis angel…_ Lloyd suddenly thought. He still could not figure out why hearing these words felt so right to him, despite the fact they were being associated with himself. "Oh, okay. So what do you want to do now?"

"I thought to leave that to you." the man replied, folding his arms and spreading his legs. "Since we have the meeting with Lord Yggdrasil tomorrow, I figured there was something you would want to do today."

Lloyd tried to think of something to do, but he came up blank. Looking at the man, he gasped lightly. How could he not think of it before? "Well, I want you to tell me some stories about your adventures, with or without me." he said, narrowing his eyes and a smirk growing on his face. "That also includes your less than desirable adventures too."

"You won't be hearing those anytime soon." he said, cocking his eyebrow. He could not help but feel a tug of a smile when he saw the annoyed look on his son's face. "But I do suppose I could share some of them with you. Come with me, if you will."

"How about a race, instead?" Lloyd suggested, instantly taking off into the air. Kratos stared silently at the teen, his wings unfurling.

"I will not let you win." he replied curtly, hurrying down and through the city after the teen.

* * *

_**Me:** Alright, there's that chapter. And to clarify, the beginning part had been going on since Lloyd couldn't recall those last three days last chapter, and will continue until he cannot sleep. The hypnopaedic phrases were fun to make up. Heh heh. And now I face a problem. I don't know if I should keep my old outline, or change it. I'm stuck on which way to take it. Well, if I decide, it'll be written here. For now, I gotta go. Review please. Oh, and I don't own Tales._


	6. Come With Me and Reveal

**Come With Me**

**Chapter 6: Come With Me and Reveal**

_**-Twelve Days (1 week, 5 days)-**_

Lloyd was not nervous; he was petrified. If Kratos was paying meticulous detail to Lloyd's uniform, checking for any stain or wrinkle, that was cause for some concern. "Lloyd, relax. I am merely making sure that you are looking your best." Kratos said, pulling down on Lloyd's jacket.

Lloyd sighed, placing his hand onto his forehead. "Are you sure?" he asked, his left eye twitching.

Kratos nodded his head. "Yes. Now relax. Acting nervous will only play into Lord Yggdrasil's nerves." he said, patting Lloyd on the back. "You do have something working for you, so I doubt it will be any lower than an active angel."

Lloyd looked at him curiously, tilting his head in confusion. "What? What's that?"

Kratos frowned slightly. "You don't know?" he said, raising his hand to his face. "You have the Aurion lineage to aid you. So I have to say that you will be pretty high up, just not as high as me, most likely." he said, ignorant of the gasp that escaped Lloyd's mouth. "I'm going to see Lord Yggdrasil for a moment, so I'll be right back." he said, heading out the steel door.

Lloyd sat down onto the bed, rubbing his forehead. Where did he hear that? He unconsciously narrowed his eyes. "I will continue the Aurion lineage within Cruxis." he said, staring at his clutched fist. He shook his head in shock. "Where am I hearing this? I… can't remember. But it sounds..." he said, twisting his lips, "right somehow…"

He sat there until Kratos returned. "Lloyd, everything is ready for you. Let's go." he said, placing his arm around Lloyd's back. "Do not worry, Lloyd, you will do fine."

Lloyd sighed heavily, breathing deeply. "Alright…" he said, standing tall. Kratos lead him through the halls. "By the way, who's going to be there?"

"Just Lord Yggdrasil." Kratos said, keeping his eyes at the end of the hall. He unfurled his wings. "Lloyd, release your wings. We are almost there." he said, removing his arm off of Lloyd's shoulder.

Lloyd inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He felt a twitch in his shoulders, and winced slightly. Opening one eye, he looked at his back and spotting his wings fluttering behind him. He smiled to himself. Kratos stepped in front of him. "What's up?"

"I will be leading you out. Are you ready?" Kratos said, standing at the end of the hall. He saw Lloyd nod his head and motioned him to follow. Lloyd saw the lines of angels staring at the stand, obviously waiting for him. They walked on the far end of the stand, when Kratos put his hand onto Lloyd. "No, you must wait until Lord Yggdrasil calls you." he said softly, using his wings to lift himself onto the stage. Kratos walked behind Yggdrasil.

Yggdrasil nodded his head. "Angels of Welgaia, I come to you and relate grand news. We have a new superior among us. The son of Kratos has joined us. Come, Lloyd Aurion." Yggdrasil said, smiling as he threw his hand to Lloyd. Lloyd narrowed his eyes and nodded. He lifted himself onto the stand and walked toward Yggdrasil. "Angels, your Lord Lloyd."

The angels stared at them, remaining still. "Hail, Lord Lloyd. Hail, Lord Lloyd."

Yggdrasil put his hand up; the angels grew silent. "Now then, your Lord Lloyd is beneath the Four Seraphim, but much higher than the average angel commander. He is in a single rank on his own. Whenever I or the Four Seraphim are not around, he is the next in line that you will obey." he said, ignoring the gasp escaping Lloyd's lips. "Now as of this moment, I officially declare Lloyd Aurion as a full member of Cruxis."

The angels stared at them, remaining still. "Hail, Lord Lloyd. Hail, Lord Lloyd. Hail, Lord Yggdrasil."

"Kratos, please hand Lloyd his recognition." Yggdrasil said, turning toward them with a slight smile.

"Of course, Lord Yggdrasil." Kratos said, nodding his head. He turned to the swords waiting on the pedestal. He picked them up, running his fingers along the surface of the blades. "Lloyd, you are to be presented with these blades. They are made of the same material as my sword, Flameberge." he said, handing them to Lloyd.

Lloyd shivered as the blades' edges touched his hands. Kratos immediately picked them up, making sure that the hilts were facing Lloyd. "Thanks." Lloyd said, grasping the hilts of the swords. "Wow, these swords are… amazing!"

"They are the Vorpal Swords." Kratos said, grabbing Lloyd's left-sheathed sword and placing it on the pedestal. "I suppose you could say that they are the mana opposite to Flameberge. They are yours."

"Yes, for your promotion to your status." Yggdrasil said, turning to them. He watched as Kratos removed Lloyd's other sword and placed it with the other sword. "Now come over here, Lloyd, and stand before the angels that will serve you." he said with a smile.

Lloyd nodded his head weakly, sheathing his new swords. He walked up to the end of the stand, the tip of his feet hanging over the edge. He placed a hand on his sword hilt, the other resting on his side. "Remember your Lord Lloyd, and praise him."

The angels stared at them, remaining still. "Hail, Lord Lloyd. Hail, Lord Lloyd. Hail, Lord Yggdrasil. Hail, Lord Kratos."

* * *

Lloyd sighed as he entered through the metal doorway, retracting his wings. Let alone that his wings had never been out that long before, Kratos made him practice flying immediately afterward. He was almost completely drained of energy, the sweat rolling down his face. Right now, all he wanted to do was plop down onto his bed. Sitting down, he unstrapped his boots. He sat there for a moment, wondering whether or not to remove his jacket. He shook his head; it was just too much effort to put back on.

He leaned back, arms spread onto the bed. He sighed contently as his muscles relaxed. "Man, I'm beat." he said, turning his head toward the door. "Wait, where's-" he paused. What was he to call him? It was not right to call him Kratos; he knew Kratos was his father. Yet he still could not call him that, either. He was not ready. "Ah well, he'll be back soon." he said, placing his hands behind his head. "Though I think he said that he wanted to do something afterward," he began, staring back at the door, "I think I'll have a little shuteye." he said, closing his eyes.

He unconsciously slid down the bed as he moved around, feet dangling off the bed. Several moments later, he felt something hit his foot. He jolted upward, getting onto his feet. He placed his hands onto the hilts of his swords and narrowed his eyes. "Peace, Lloyd. It is only me." Lloyd relaxed when he saw Kratos standing in front of the bed. "Sorry, I was speaking with Lord Yggdrasil about something. And when I came in, I saw you lying down and wanted to see if you were sleeping. I must have bumped into your foot."

Lloyd sighed as he sat onto the bed. "Yeah, you hit my foot. I was just resting my eyes." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "So what did you want to do, anyway?"

Kratos shifted his eyes. "Well, it was more to tell you something." he said, setting himself onto the bed. "Now that you are a full-fledged member of Cruxis, there are a few things you should know."

"What's that?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head and raising his eyebrow.

"It deals with the Desians." Kratos said, looking away from Lloyd. "They are a subdivision within Cruxis." he said, expecting the light gasp to escape Lloyd's lips.

Lloyd did not know what to say. He was angered at that, but something was clawing at his mind. He rubbed his head and winced, trying to remember. He sat silently, when he slightly widened his eyes. He knew it all along. _The Desians are pawns that serve us Cruxis angels like myself and Lord Yggdrasil._ He gritted his teeth in anger; it was annoying when he was actually right for once. "So then, why are they around?"

"They are used to develop the Chosen's Cruxis crystal through combat." he said simply, rubbing his forehead. "As well as this Chosen did, other Chosens have fought against the Desians. There have been many Cardinals, though none have been taken down the way Magnius and Kvar were." he said, clutching his hands. "I knew you would be angry, so I did not mince words."

Lloyd looked at him. "I'm angrier that I was right than being surprised." he said, sitting silently for several moments. "So then, why do they create exspheres?"

"I no longer really know. They do not make Cruxis crystals, and the only way that happens is… well, you know." he said, nodding his head. "I believe it was a way to end discrimination, though speaking with Lord Yggdrasil would clear that up." he said, turning toward Lloyd's desk. "However, I have more to tell you."

Lloyd looked up, eyes still slightly narrowed. "What's that?" he said, watching Kratos walk over to the desk. Lloyd got up, following him over. "What's it got to do with the desk?"

"Besides doing work for Cruxis in the form of paperwork, I will be leading you in schoolwork." he said, watching as Lloyd rolled his eyes into the back of his head. Kratos shook his head as he watched him gape in annoyance. "You need to learn the true history, and you need to improve your mental skills." Kratos said, turning toward the door when it opened. An angel floated in. "Ah, you're finally here."

Lloyd turned toward the angel, who bowed its head. "What's she doing here for?" he said, staring nervously as she held up a needle. "Why does she have that thing?!"

"She needs to draw a bit of your blood so we can see if you inherited the aionis I have in my blood." Kratos said, grabbing Lloyd's arm. "If you don't, or you do not have enough to make use of it, you need to be injected with aionis. Now either roll up your sleeve or remove your jacket."

Lloyd stared at the needle. He shook his head. "What does it do?"

Kratos sighed when Lloyd did not reveal his bare arm. "I take it you do not like needles?" he said, receiving a glare from Lloyd. "I see. Then you are not going to do it until I tell you more." he said, placing his hand on his forehead. "Lloyd, we don't have time for this. I'll give a short description, then explain more later."

"Fine." Lloyd said, shivering at the needle. "Make it a good one, because you aren't the one getting the needle." he said, wincing as he rolled up his sleeve. He paused until Kratos' hand pulled up the rest of Lloyd's sleeve.

"Aionis allows humans to use magic, basically, among other benefits. I took it several years ago. Now let her draw some blood so it can be analyzed." he said, calling the angel in. "Now then, where was I? Ah, yes. Besides paperwork for Cruxis and schoolwork, you will try learning magic, at least the basics. If you want to continue with it, you may. And then there are angel techniques and skills…"

Lloyd widened his eyes. "I'm going to have to do all that?!" he said, gaping. "And that doesn't even include swordsmanship…"

Kratos nodded his head. "Ah yes, I knew I forgot something." he said with a light smirk.

"Me and my big mouth." Lloyd sighed. He then noticed something different. "Hey, wait, what happened to that angel?"

Kratos raised his eyebrow. "She has been gone for some time. She finished and took off. Your blood will be analyzed and should be finished within a week, given the equipment we have here on Derris-Kharlan."

Lloyd gaped. "What? She already left?! I didn't even notice that she drew any blood!" he said, stumbling backward over his bed and falling onto it. "Whoa, I suddenly feel dizzy…"

"That is one of the side effects of having your blood drawn." Kratos said, pushing Lloyd down onto the bed. "Rest. I shall go over the rest later. I'll wake you up in an hour and we can begin paperwork, schoolwork or swordsmanship training."

"Great, decisions…" Lloyd said with a sigh, closing his eyes. He quickly drifted to sleep.

* * *

I swear I will find a better way to end these than sleep. -face palm- V.V Anyway, I don't like the way this is, for some reason. I mean, I personally liked the angels' bit, but I dunno about the rest... :\ Anyway, I digress. I don't own ToS. Review please.


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